The Lord’s Day

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet (Rev. 1:10)

In Rev. 1:10 we find an essential backdrop to John’s vision. For the reader of Revelation, the measure by which this backdrop is out of focus, is the same measure he will remain disoriented throughout. John’s witness that he was in the spirit on the Lord’s day is the precursor to everything else he saw in the vision. This verse sets the stage and acclimates the reader, prepping him to be able to understand the rest of the vision. The one who bypasses or misconstrues this initial exordium by John is at a great disadvantage from the start.

The Lord’s day of Rev. 1:10 is the English translation of the Greek kyriake hemera (the Lord’s day.) It’s the only place in the Bible that it appears this way. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation the the Old Testament, as well as New Testament manuscripts we find hemera tou kyriou (the day of the Lord), a similar term identified in eschatology as describing a future day of judgment (Is. 13:6, Jer. 46:10, Joel 1:15, 2:1,11, Zeph. 1:14, to name a few) as well as being the time of natural Israel’s consolation (Zech. 13:1.) The question that arises is, does John’s kyriake hemera intend to evoke these and many other Old Testament references? If so, and, in order to be certain, it would be necessary for the rest of John’s vision to contain evidence that would bear that out. The following will establish that evidence.

In Rev. 4:2 John makes a similar statement by saying,  And immediately I was in the spirit. It’s important to note, since there’s no mention of John leaving the spirit up to this point, this is not a secondary experience to Rev. 1:10, but rather, a reiteration of it. As he continues describing what he’s seeing, among other things, John finds himself looking upon the 24 elders. It’s not them in particular that’s important to note here, but rather, the crowns they bear on their heads.

It’s a rather peculiar thing that the 24 elders are wearing crowns in this scene and this early on in the vision. Most commentators agree that these 24 elders are indeed redeemed saints, although their individual identities are debated. That fact that the Greek word for elders here is presbuteros and is only used in scripture as a reference to men, and never of angels, is the most compelling indication of this. Those who hold to a pre-tribulation rapture view present the understanding that John himself being caught up in Rev. 4:2 is an indication that the Church will be raptured at the beginning of the final seven years. If this is true, then we have a dilemma concerning the elders’ crowns.

These crowns, stephenos in Greek, are worn as a symbol of victory; a victor’s crown, and are not to be confused with a diadem; a rulers crown. The elders John saw were wearing their victors’ crowns. Paul made mention of his own stephenos while stating explicitly that he, and everyone else, would not receive their crowns until the future day of the His appearing.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8)

There is no problem in the pre-trib camp with the elders, and all the other saints, receiving their crowns in Rev. 4 since they view this to be the time of His appearing. However, we must not forget that the only reason the crowns are distributed at His appearing is because of its tie with the judgment seat of Christ. It’s certain that there’s no lapse of time between the two events. The saints will be resurrected to the judgment seat of Christ at the time of His appearing. Paul undoubtedly concedes to this truth when writing to Timothy.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1)

Paul simply states here that the judgment of the dead and living saints will take place at the time of His appearing which happens to be the same time of His kingdom; both occasions being equally noteworthy and simultaneous. While the pre-trib view holds that the appearing of Christ must take place in or around Rev. 4:2, they seemingly dismiss the all too important, and necessary, judgment seat of Christ which comes into view several chapters later under the blowing of the seventh trumpet. It’s in Rev. 11 where we see the time of the dead, that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great. Here it becomes necessary to understand that the timing of the seventh trumpet falls at mid-point of the last seven years. Certainly, no one would imagine the seventh trumpet to be blown at the beginning of the seven years since it’s a sequential event. From here the pre-trib proponent must necessarily split the judgment seat of Christ into two phases in order to accommodate both a judgment at the onset of the seven years (in explanation of the elders wearing crowns,) and another judgment three and a half years later under the seventh trumpet. However, there’s no scriptural support for two judgment seats of Christ or one unfolding in two phases. Even further, it would necessitate two separate appearings of the Lord since the judgment of believers happens at the time of His appearing. If there’s two judgments, there would have to be two appearings also. But, as the title of the book suggests, it’s the Revelation (singular) of Jesus Christ.

All of these critical timing issues are resolved by rightly understanding what John meant when he said, I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. The Lord’s Day is none other than the day of His Appearing. It is also the day when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord (an event under the seventh trumpet Rev.11:15) consistent with Paul’s reference to His Kingdom coming at the time of His appearing (2Tim. 4:1.) It’s the same day prophesied about over and over by the Old Testament prophets. When John said he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, this is the day he was speaking of. John was not caught up at the beginning of the seven years, but in the middle. It was from this vantage point that he observed the whole vision. Nothing could be more appropriate than for the book of Revelation to begin with John being in the Spirit on the day prophesied about more than anything else in scripture. John intended to evoke the many prophecies previously given surrounding the day of the Lord in order to highlight this all important day. By this he was unveiling the backdrop of the entire vision.

What John witnessed in Rev. 4 were not events from the start of the seven years, but the middle. Upon John’s arrival in the Spirit, Jesus would have just received control over the kingdoms of this world (Rev.11:15) characterized by the throne that was set in Rev. 4:2. The judgment seat of Christ would have commenced (Rev.11:18) clarifying and substantiating the wearing of the crowns by the 24 elders (Rev.4:4.) In fact, all of the events of Rev. 4 and 5 must necessarily be understood from the vantage point of the day of the Lord. It’s not until Rev. 6 when the span of the entire seven years begins. From the calculated vantage point of the Lord’s Day in the middle of the seven years John witnessed the events of the entire seven years commencing from Rev. 6 to the end.

The position held by most Christian commentators is that John’s mention of the Lord’s day simply means Sunday, the first day of the week. The early Christians are said to have gathered on Sunday instead of the sabbath in order to commemorate the day on which Jesus was resurrected, a practice which is still observed to this day. If this view is true, it would be of no significance in helping understand the vision as a whole. It would remain a trivial fact, a point of interest maybe, but that’s all.

Perhaps the slight variation from the day of the Lord to the Lord’s Day may be due to John expressing his personal acquaintance with the Lord. Could John have really intended his kyriake hemera (the Lord’s day) to be understood the same as hemera tou kyriou (the day of the Lord?) The fact that the elders are wearing crowns in Rev. 4 is proof that he did.

related post

• Religious Bondage vs Freedom in Christ
• about
• podcasts
• Luke 10.18 - More Correction Of A Backwards Theology
• Rev. 11.18 - The One and Only Judgment Seat of Christ